365 days of SL, day 324

We visited a sim called Temptation Paradise last night. The reason I went there was really just that it was close to Rohanda on the map, and that the name "Temptation Paradise" sounded interesting — and it turned out to be exactly that. It was also one of the most well-done sims I've seen so far; beautifully modelled by what must've been an seasoned builder, and designed with an eye for visual appeal and much attention to detail and polish.

The whole place consisted of a structure that vaguely reminded me of Reykjavík's Perlan from the outside; there was a spacious yard in front of it, with a pool and fountain, benches and an assortment of trees, some of which had been decorated with lights.

Apparently the place was called "Butterfly Ballroom" — so let's go inside:

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This was the sight that greeted me as soon as I passed through the entrance: a large atrium with more trees, more glow, more lights. MMMMmm.

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There was another fountain in the middle, and benches to sit down and relax and take in the scenery.

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I didn't sit down to do that, though. :)

I gotta say I love that ceiling window and the way that light's flooding in there; it's such a pretty effect.

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Looking back towards the entrance; there were some glowy plants and butterflies, and the arch of the doorway nicely framed the glowing tree outside as well.

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There were two separate areas on the side that you could access. This was one of them; the blue mountains in the background are actually due to one of those "horizon" textured walls, but I bet you couldn't tell here.

I've spoken out against these textured walls several times in the past, as they almost invariably tend to be eyesores, but these? Damn, they look good.

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But for now, let's go back inside. And don't you love that blue glow? I'm fascinated by light and colors, so this place was a real treat for me.

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And here's another view of the center atrium, with the big wheel-like ceiling window. Lovely, isn't it?

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The section opposite the entrance had this bench in front of a white tree surrounded by blue light.

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Butterfly Ballroom? That sounds inviting, too; let's check it out.

(And just look at how beautiful that doorway is, with the lamps and the vines and the vases and... pretty much everything.)

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The ballroom appeared more sparsely-furnished than the rest, and indeed than this screenshot makes it look, but there's a reason for that: due to transparency layering issues that unfortunately still persist in SL, most of it wasn't visible unless viewed from the front. I got around that here by taking the screenshot from the far wall.

That said, I do have to say I really like how the shot turned out, too; it's easily one of my favorites for this evening. I don't want toot my own horn too much, but I think the framing and composition are quite good here.

And in case you're wondering, those balls floating in front of the pillars are danceballs.

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And that was it, really; the only remaining area was a few shops outside. I didn't go there, but I found a fountain and an artistic nude painting in one, so I took a screenshot of that, too, just because. There's even some butterflies in there.

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And the rest of the night? Just good ol'-fashioned plot swinging. :) I derendered the wall textures that caused the problems with the transparent textures here; as a result, the walls' glow may be stronger than intended, but for a dancefloor, it's perhaps not inappropriate. :) And either way, this is what I saw and what was on my screen, so there.

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If the mouse can't find a floor-length dress,She should turn to Ponyville's own seamstress,That's Rarity, of course, don't settle for less!Or you'll find yourself in great distress,But pay her price, and soon you'll confess:Yes, Rarity's dress is truly the bes-t.